History of WHC
How it all started
Women's Health Concern was founded in 1972 by a visionary nurse called Joan Jenkins. Joan was extremely passionate about helping women with their healthcare needs, especially at a time when limited information was available to women.
WHC started as an open-access clinic in London and has since expanded its services to provide women with counselling and advice through its telephone advice line and email services.
Gerald Swyer
Gerald Swyer was a Consultant Endocrinologist at University College Hospital, London, and became the first medical Chairman of Women's Health Concern when Joan Jenkins first set up the charity. He established the first Fertility Clinic in London, which he usually referred to as the Futility Clinic. He was a very learned man who made, and played, musical instruments. He also built himself a boat which he sailed. He left a donation to WHC which was the Gerald Swyer Memorial Trust, and we have used it to fund the memorial lecture each year at our Annual London Symposium.
